Our Great Commission
God’s Spirit
Part 3: The Fruit of Love
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House of Faith – www.PS127.org www.TruthDigest.org
ANNOUNCEMENTS
6:00PM Evening Service at the church –
“Seminary Students will be preaching”
Monday Bible Study back at the Shields’ 5:00PM
Tuesday Women’s at Lori’s 5:00PM
Men’s on Friday at the church 8:00PM
WHERE WE ARE AT
† Maturing in Christ
† Understanding in Christ
† Love of God
This Series: God’s Spirit
Previously:
God’s Spirit with us / in us
The Fruit of the Spirit
TODAY’S SERMON: Our Great Commission
God’s Spirit
Part 3: The Fruit of Love
OPEN IN PRAYER
SCRIPTURE READING
Ephesians 5:1-21
1Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
3But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. 4Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or vulgar joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.
5For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.[a] 6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7Therefore do not be partners with them.
8For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light
9(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10and find out what pleases the Lord. 11Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.
13But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."
15Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. 18Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
21Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
9(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10and find out what pleases the Lord. 11Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness…
Galatians 5:22
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love...
LOVE
John 13:34 & 35 (Jesus Speaking to the Disciples)
34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
I. A new command I give you: Love one another.
The word ‘love’ used here is agapao in the literal translation which comes from the word ‘agan’ which means much or a lot.
Agapao means to love someone in a social or moral sense.
Love each other the way I love you, and everyone will know you are my disciples.
LOOPHOLES
We, humans, tend to always look for the loopholes in instructions, teachings, rules, commands, what ever you want to call them.
When given instruction, we tend to look for a way around that instruction.
Like a child, we say in our hearts, “you’re not the boss of me”, even when sometimes they are.
Like the old saying, children like to break things, especially rules.
Always looking for a way around instruction.
We can see this demonstrated in children at a very young age.
Rebekah when she was 2, knew she was not allowed in Dad’s office while he is working.
Sometimes while I was working, she would come to the door, which was open, and lay on the floor just outside the door.
She would peek her head around the corner, look at me and say “Hi Daddy.”
Then as I continue to work, she would slowly edge herself to the line, until she has some small part of her just over the threshold.
Then she looks up at me as if to say, “what?”
It’s in our nature, our flesh, the desire to do our will.
She knows her Father said she’s not allowed to cross that line, but the desire within her to do her will is sometimes stronger than the desire to do what she knows she’s supposed to.
And she’ll cross that line, in full understanding that it is wrong.
If she didn’t truly know better, she wouldn’t have lay down just before it, and called my name to see my response.
If she didn’t understand, she wouldn’t have slowly executed her scheme to cross the threshold into the office.
The will of our sinful flesh can sometimes exclaim so loudly within us, that we can easily ignore that still and quiet voice of the Holy Spirit.
But we know the truth.
We know right from wrong, it has been written upon our hearts.
2 Corinthians 3:3
“You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.”
You are a letter from Christ, to the lost world.
You are a love letter, written with the Spirit of the Living God upon your hearts.
A letter that should be telling the world, “My King requests your presence in His Kingdom.”
Are you proclaiming the Kingdom of Love to the lost?
Are you proclaiming the Love of our King for the lost?
You can only do this through loving others.
You can’t just talk about love, and not do it.
Love must be shown, not with words, but in action.
If you do not love others, no one will hear your words about a God who loves, or a coming Kingdom of Love.
All they will see is the way you live as you tell them they need God’s Love.
If you do not love, yet claim to be a Christian, all you are to the lost is a walking contradiction.
People believe action, words are just words.
You can talk all day about your intensions of doing something, but until you actually do it, it hasn’t been done.
…Anybody who brags about what he’s going to do tomorrow probably did the same thing yesterday.
No farmer ever plowed a field by turning it over in his mind.
There’s a scripture about those who talk the talk, but do not walk the walk;
Mark 7:6
“He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: " 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”
Where is your heart today?
Is it full of God’s love for people?
This includes the lost sinners.
They are the ones we are instructed to reach and save.
Where is your heart today?
Is it for moving forward and proclaiming God’s Kingdom in Love?
Are you living God’s love?
II. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
This kind of love is supernatural.
This Spiritual fruit of love is for God and fellowman, believer and lost.
Love for your fellowman (whether saved or lost) has always been a hallmark of the devout Christian.
God’s Spiritual fruit of love creates in us compassion for others, tenderheartedness for others, and makes us a loving individual.
The kind of compassion that made Christ cry when he heard his friend Lazarus had died, and He knew the sadness the family was feeling, or when He cried over Jerusalem falling away from God.
Do you have this Spiritual Fruit of love?
Are you compassionate about people, or cold towards them?
Do you have a tender heart for others, or are you hateful and full of spite?
Do you love, or are you full of anger?
Are you loving towards others?
Jesus says, ‘Love one another, as I have loved you,”
How does Jesus love us?
This is important, because Jesus says “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”
Right now, think of someone that you don’t like.
I know some of you won’t have any trouble at all, while it may take others a moment or two.
Now ask yourself some questions;
Remembering Jesus’ words, ask your self;
If that person were hungry, would I feed them?
If that person were thirsty, would I give them something to drink?
If that person were sick, would I visit them?
Would I give my life for them?
Jesus did.
That person you are holding a grudge against, Jesus died for them because He loved them so much.
Love is a serious matter to God.
For God is love.
1 John 4:7, 8
“7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
Are you born again?
Has Christ breathed the Spirit into you?
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
You see, you cannot hate your brother and claim to be a Christian.
You are in contradiction.
Are you a Christian or not?
If you are, then stop hating, backbiting, gossiping, working against, and attacking with your words…
Especially against your brother in the Body of Christ.
Did you know, God warns you about hating your brother?
1 John 7:20, 21
“20 If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.”
Whatever we do in life, there are consequences.
Good and bad.
How do you show love to a God you cannot touch or see?
Jesus says by obeying His commands.
The scriptures also say when you love one another the way God loves you, you show your love to God.
We are commanded to love one another as He loves us.
When we love others, we love Christ.
When we hate others, we hate Christ.
III. By this (love) all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
Jesus has shown His love, not in words, but action.
He has loved each one of us unto death.
When you hate someone, you hate someone Christ loved so much He died for.
Jesus’ own words, “What you do to the least of these, you do unto me.”
But when you love, you proclaim Christ’s love letter to the lost.
By your love for others, you love Christ.
If you do not love the way Christ is telling you to, then you need to ask yourself why.
Is it you have not asked Jesus to be your Lord?
If not, you need to do so.
Is it because you are living by your flesh?
If so, you need to crucify your flesh and follow the Spirit which has been given to you by the Lord.
Pray, and the Holy Spirit will change your heart.
